Hat ironing machine



' May 31, 1938. p SCHULTZE 2,119,362

HAT monme MACH-I'NE Filed ma lze, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 69-75 INVENTOR Z aLLZ fiS'c/zulfze @MM M w ATTORNEYS May 31, 1938. P. SCHULTZE 2,119,352

HAT IRONING MACHINE Filed May 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tire. I

- INVENTOR $auZ Schuitze 3% M XQM V/AITTORNEYS Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES HAT IRONING. MACHINE Paul Schultze, Danbury, Conn, assignor to Doran Brothers Danbury, Conn.

Application May 29, 1935, Serial No. 24,065

14 Claims.-

This invention relates to hat ironing machinesor the like. a

One of the objects of this invention is to pro} vide a machine for ironing or for performing various other operations upon a hat. Another object is to provide a machine of the above nature which is thoroughly practical and highly efficient in the performance of its operation. Another object is to provide a machine of the above nature which will consistently and uniformly process the crownportion of a hat. Another object is to provide a machine of the above nature which is sturdy and capable of long continuous use. Another object is to providea machine of the above nature capable of efficiently ironing the band portion of a hat. Anotherobject is to provide a machine of the above nature which is simple and inexpensive to construct and which may be readily operated by an; unskilled operator. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, as exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one or more of the various embodiments present in this invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine, certain of the parts thereof being broken away;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of certain portions of the machine;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 2; i

Figure 4 is a vertical section of the iron which I prefer to use in my machine; and

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the iron shown in Figure 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawlngs.

As conducive to a better understanding of certain features of this invention, it might here be pointed out that considerable difiiculty is often encountered in properly ironing or luring the band portion of the crown of a hat or that portion of the crown immediately adjacent the brim. The central part of the iron usuallycannot contact the band portion in a thorough and desirable manner and accordingly the. band portion is poorly ironed. It is, of course, important that this part of the hat be-treated asthoroughlyasthe other portions inorder that it may have the requisite stiffness to support the crown of the hat. Still further diificulties are encountered in effectively treating the square of a hat, the square being that portion of the crown lying between the sides and top thereof. This latter dilfi'culty is usually encountered because of the inability of the iron to correctly follow the square. One of the various objects of this invention is to provide a machine in which the above-mentioned difficulties as well as many others are successfully overcome.

Referring now to Figure 1 in detail, there is generally indicated at ID a standard, which may be of any suitable construction, having mounted thereon or integral therewith a frame or housing lilawhich isad'apted to carry certain moving parts of my machine in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter. A bore extends throughout frame I 0a. substantially parallel to the top ofstandard H] and has rotatabl y mountedtherein on suitable bearings a shaft H which may be driven in any suitable manner as, for example, by gears Ha.

Shaft H extends from the left-hand side of housing 1-00., as viewed in Figure 2, and upon this end of the shaft a hat block 12 may be detachably mounted upon a chuck I3. Chuck l3 may be of any suitable construction but preferably includes a suitable number of jaws l3a, connected to a sliding collar [3b and operated thereby to grasphat block l2. Collar I312 is connected to a handle or lever I4 by suitable links Mm, lever l i bei-ng pivotally mounted on a suitableboss extending from housing Illa. Thus, when lever H is swung to the left, as viewed in Figure l, collar l'3b slides to the right to cause jaws I3a to release their grip on hat block l2 and conversely, swingingof lever l4 to the right causes the jawsto grip the hat block. A preferred embodiment of this structure is set forth in more detail in Patent No. 1,944,655 issued to J. F. Doran.

A worm gear I5 is secured to and is rotatable with shaft H and drives a gear I 6 suitably supported in standard I 0. A connecting rod I1 is pivotally secured to gear 16- and to a bracket l8, bracket IBbeing connected toa rack 19. Thus, upon the rotation of gear l-B', rack I9 reciprocates in guides 20 and 21-. Guide 20 may extend integrally from the lower portion of standard III while guide 2 I may be integral with a protruding portion .l'llb' of the standard. a

Portion I llb has avertical bore formed therein in which ismounted a shaft generally indicated at 22. Shaft 22 preferably extendsbelow'portion I011 and has mounted on the end thereof a bracket piece 23, which, as may be clearly seen in Figure 2, is detachably secured to shaft 22 by way of a bolt 23a extending therethrough.

Bracket piece 23 includes a spring housing 232) (Figure 3) which receives through suitable bores a stud 24 (Figures 2 and 3). Spring housing 231) has a cover plate 230 secured thereto by means of suitable screws 23d. A suitable number of coil springs 25 are disposed about stud 24 within housing 23b. One end of each of springs 25 is secured to stud 24 while the other ends thereof are secured to housing 231), thus urging stud 24 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a bifurcated arm generally indicated at 26 has a pair of prongs 21 and 28 (Figure 3) which extend about spring housing 23b and are secured to stud 24. More specifically, suitable clamping brackets 29 and 30 are secured to prongs 21 and 28 by bolts 3| (Figures 2 and 3) which, when taken up, force the prongs and the clamping members to rigidly secure these parts to stud 24.

An adjusting nut member generally indicated at 32 (Figures 1 and 3) is secured on end 24a of stud 24. Nut member 32 has a segmental portion 321) formed thereon provided with a plurality of teeth 320 (Figure 1) Portion 32b of nut member 32 is preferably provided with suitable indicia indicating the tension of springs 25 and the nut may be held in any position of adjustment by a manually operable stud 33 extending through a suitable boss formed on arm 26. The end of stud 33 is threaded and the threads mesh with teeth 320 on nut 32. Thus when stud 33 is turned, nut 32 is swung to vary the tension of springs 25 and the desired tension is indicated by a pointer 9| which lies over the indicia on nut 32 (Figure 5).

Referring again to Figure 1, it will now be seen that, upon rotation of gears Ha, hat block [2 is rotated. Likewise, gear [6 rotates to actuate connecting rod 11 and accordingly causes rack I9 to reciprocate. As better shown in Figure 2, shaft 22 has secured on its upper end, a gear 22a which meshes with rack teeth I9a of rack 19 (see Figure 1). Thus as rack l9 reciprocates, it imparts corresponding reciprocal rotation to shaft 22. As arm 26 is connected to shaft 22 by way of bracket piece 23, it reciprocates with the shaft in a vertical direction with respect to frame Hi. It might here be pointed out that, under certain circumstances, suitable speed change mechanism may be employed instead of gears Ila in Figure 1 as, for example, the mechanism shown in the Letters Patent No. 1,944,655, issued to J. F. Doran.

By pivoting arm 26 at a point spaced substantially below rack 19, the force necessary to swing arm 26 away from hat block I2 is considerably less than the force which would be necessary were arm 26 pivotally mounted in the vicinity of rack I9, and this because the angular movement of the swinging arm, when the iron is operating'on the side of a hat crown and passing from the major to the minor axis of the oval, is considerably less than it would be were arm 26 pivoted adjacent rack I9. Also, hat bodies of greater depth can be accommodated when arm 26 is mounted in this position substantially as described. Furthermore, since the difference between the long and short radii of the hat body oval is generally about three quarters of an inch, the angular movement of the arm at the radius where springs 25 are connected is so small that it is practically negligible. It follows that the tension of the springs remains substantially constant with the resulting advantage of substantially uniform ironing pressure.

As is more clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, an iron generally indicated at 34 is secured to a bracket 35. Bracket 35 has a bore in which is secured a shaft 36 (Figure 2 and 3) the bottom of which is rotatably received in a web or journal 26a (Fi ure 3) extending between and preferably integral with sides 26b and 260 of arm 26. The upper ends of arms 26b and 260 converge in a portion 2601 (Figure 2) the top of which has a flat bearing surface which supports the flat bottom 35a of bracket 35. Thus, it will be seen that shaft 36 and accordingly iron 34 is free to pivot with respect to arm 26. It is desirable that iron 34 be thus free to pivot in order that the square of a hat may be more effectively processed. As arm 26 swings around a hat mounted on hat block l2 (Figure 1), iron 34 being in contact with the surface of the hat, the iron may find its own center as it passes over the square of the hat, thus completely ironing all portions of this part of the hat.

I have found that when the iron in many machines now in use reaches the extremity of its. travel, that is, when it is operating on the band portion of a hat immediately adjacent to the brim thereof, the full pressure of the iron is not being exerted upon the band portion and accordingly this part of the hat is not sufficiently processed. To rectify this condition, I have provided a collar 31 (Figure 3) which is secured to and rotatable with shaft 36. One end of a spring 38 is secured to collar 31 and the other end thereof is secured to a screw 39 (Figure 2) which extends through a lug 46, preferably an upwardly projecting integral part of a collar 4|. Collar 4| is secured to and rotatable with a shaft 42 which is pivotally received in a web or journal 26c (Figures 2 and 3) extending between sides 26b and 2'60 of arm 26. A cramping lever 43 (Figure 2) is secured as by a pin 43a to the other end of shaft 42 and is so disposed that it abuts either one of two rollers 44 or 45 (Figure 1) rotatably mounted on a housing [0c extending below and secured to portion lflb of standard II] as arm 26 approaches one limit or the other of its travel around hat block l2 as determined by the stroke of rack l9. Upon the abutment of lever 43 against either of the rolls, for example, if lever 43 engages roll 44, the lever is swung in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, and accordingly a counterclockwise swing of lug 46 results. This causes a tensioning of spring 38 and a displacement of the lower end thereof to the left as viewed in Figure 3. Shaft 36 is secured to the upper end of spring 38 and is free to pivot. Accordingly, the displacement of spring 38 causes shaft 36 and iron 34 to pivot to the right. Thus the left side of iron 34, as viewed in Figure 3, exerts additional pressure against the band portion of the hat to completely process that portion. It will .be seen from the above that contact between cramping lever 43 and roll 45 produces a similar increase of pressure by the right-hand side of iron 34, as viewed in Figure 3, when arm 26 swings around to its other extreme position.

As is more clearly shown in Figure 2, roller 44 is preferably mounted upon a bracket 46 which is adjustably secured by means of a bolt 41' to housing [00 below portion lflb of standard !6. As roller 45 is similarly mounted (Figure 1) the position of either of the two rollers may be adjusted with respect to cramping lever 43in order to vary the additional .pressure exerted by the vertical-edge portions ,of iron 34 against the band portion of the hat. V

In order to facilitate the manual operation or application of iron 34, I provide a handle 48 (Figures 1 and 2) suitably secured to arm 26 and provided with a bore or channel 48a (Figure 3). Extending through channel 48a is a rod 49 which has. secured to the top thereof a push button 49a. The lower end of rod 49 is loosely mounted in a latch 50 (Figure 2) which is secured to a shaft 5| journaled in arms 26b and 260. As is best shown in Figures 1 and 2, latch 50 has an undercut portion providing a shoulder 59a (Figure 2) which abuts a projection 52 preferably integral with and extending from a hub or cap 53 mounted on top of and rotatable with shaft 22. Projection 52 is also provided with a bore in which is disposed a cushion 54 which, upon disengagement of latch 50. from projection 52 as by pressure on button 490: abuts journal 25a when there is no hat block on chuck I3. Hence pressure on button 49a releases latch 59 to permit manual operation of arm 26. If latch 59 is inadvertently F disengaged by accidental. pressure on button @911,

cushion 5.4 safeguards the iron and chuck by absorbing the shock which would otherwise result between them.

With reference to Figures 4 and 5, iron 34 preferably comprises a main body portion 55 (Figure 4) in which is formed a cavity 55 of suitable depth depending on the size of the iron and certain other circumstances. A block 51 is suitably secured in cavity 55 and has formed therein a compartment 58 in which a piece of bimetal 59 is secured by means of a screw 50 which extends into. block 51. The rear surface 51a of block 57 is preferably in alignment with the bottom 55a of a chamber 55b formed in the rear of body portion 55. A cover plate 5| is suitably secured to the rear of body portion 55, and thus surface 55a forms with plate 5| chamber 55b in which is suitably disposed heat-producing resistance elements 62. A piece of mica 53 or the like is suitably secured to the back of cover plate 6| for electrical insulating purposes.

Cover plate 5| is provided with a recess 5 la and an aperture 5th communicates therewith. Still referring to Figure 4, a terminal 54 extends through aperture 611) and is secured to plate 5!, one end of resistance element 52 being connected to terminal 64. The other end of resistance 62 is connected to a terminal 51 (Figure 5) which in turn is connected to a lead 51a fromelectric cord 69. A terminal screw 55 (Figure 4) holds in place on terminal 64 a contact plate 65 which has an outwardly extending part 65a from which extends a portion 5% having mounted thereon a contact 660. Portion 56b is preferably spaced a suitable distance from mica 63.

A second contact plate generally indicated at 58 in Figure 5 includes a portion 580 one end of which is secured tov a post 35. As may be more clearly seen in Figure 4, post 85 is secured to cover plate BI and extends therefrom through mica 53. Contact plate 68 (Figure 5) also includes a portion 58b which preferably extends from portion 68a preferably at right angles a distance suflicient to permit its end to register with portion 56a of contact plate 65. Portion 5821 (Figure 4) has mounted on the underside thereof a contact 530, and this contact registers with and is adapted to abut against contact-55c as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to, Figures 4. and 5, portion 5819 on contact plate 68 has threaded the-reinto a. terminal screw 85, and this terminal screw can be taken up to grip a lead 10 from electric cord 59. Thus, when contact is made between contact point 660 and contact point 680 resistance 62 is energized to heat the iron.

In order that the temperature of iron 34 may be automatically controlled, I have provided a pin H (Figure 4) slidably mounted in block 51, cover plate SI and mica 63,. One end of pin 1| abuts bimetal 59 and its other end abuts portion 68b of contact plate 68. Thus, as the temperature of iron 34 rises; bimetal 59 bends to force pin "H against portion 58b and upon a predetermined maximum temperature being reached, the pressure of pin TI overcomes the resiliency of portion 68b to separate the contact points and break the circuit. Therefore, the resiliency of portion 68b controls the breaking of the contact.

To predetermine the-maximum temperature which causes the breaking of the contact, I provide a regulating device generally indicated at 12 (Figures 4 and 5) which varies the resiliency of plate 58. Regulating device 12 comprises a bracket 13 (Figure 5) secured to cover plate 5|,

By referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that f bimetal 59 is preferably located deep in the body of iron 34, that is, it is near the ironing surface where the heat is transferred to the hat. It is at this portion of the iron that temperature control is particularly important. Thus, by so positioning the temperature responsive bimetal. 59, the iron temperature can be controlled within narrow limits.

Preferably I provide, in conjunction with the above-described temperature control, a suitable thermometer I5 (Figures 4 and 5) the recording part of which lies along the top of iron 34 and the sensitive part 15a of which is disposed within a bore 16 in iron 34. Thus, the maximum temperature desired may be readily predetermined and the danger of overheating the iron precluded.

Accordingly, it will be seen that I have provided a thoroughly efficient and practical construction in which the several objects mentioned hereinabove as well as many others have been successfully and efficiently accomplished.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be "understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

' 1. In a machine of the character described; in combination, a hat support, means for rotating said support, an ironing tool adapted, to operate upon the surface of a hat mounted on said support, means adapted to give said tool a traversing, movement of substantially 180 across the surface of said rotating hat in a path extending over the crown thereof, means for urging said tool against said hat during said traversing movement, and means including a positively actuated lever adapted to cause the portion of the iron nearest the band portion'on each side of the hat to bear with increased pressure against the hat surface.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a housing including a base portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, a support secured to said shaft adapted to have a hat mounted thereon, a rack slidably mounted in said base portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in said base portion and extending therebelow, gear means secured to said second-mentioned shaft and adapted to mesh with said rack whereby said second-mentioned shaft is rotated upon reciprocation of said rack, a pair of rollers mounted on opposite sides of said second-mentioned shaft, an arm pivotally associated with said secondmentioned shaft, an ironing tool pivotally mounted on said arm and adapted upon actuation of said arm by said rack to traverse the crown surface of a hat mounted on said support, and means adapted upon engagement with one of said rollers to pivot said ironing tool as said tool approaches the band portion of the hat to cause the portion of said tool nearest the band portion of the hat to bear with increased pressure against the hat surface.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, a hat support secured to said shaft, a shaft related to said housing and extending therebelow, means for rotating both of said shafts, a swinging arm pivotally associated with said second-mentioned shaft, said arm being adapted to move around and toward and away from said hat support, an iron pivotally mounted on said arm, spring means coaxially disposed with respect to said arm and adapted to urge said arm against a hat mounted on said hat support whereby upon operation of said firstmentioned means said iron traverses said rotating hat along a path extending from one band portion to the other band portion thereof, and means adapted as said iron approaches the band portions on each side of said hat to cause the portion of the iron nearest the band portion to bear with increased pressure against the hat surface.

4. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable hat support, means for rotating said support, an ironing tool, means for urging said tool toward said hat support, means for moving said tool through an angle of substantially over the surface of a hat mounted on said support, and means for gradually varying the pressure exerted by portions of said ironing tool as said portions approach the band portions on each side of said hat, said pressure being at a maximum when the iron is at the band portion limit of its travel.

5. In a machine of the character described.'in combination, a rotatable hat support, a housing for said support, said housing including a base portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in said base portion, an arm secured to said shaft and pivotable toward and away therefrom, spring means associated with said shaft and said arm and adapted to urge said arm toward said shaft, means for varying the tension in said spring means, an iron pivotally mounted on said arm, a cramping lever journaled in said arm, said lever being adapted to pivot said iron upon movement of said lever, and means engaging said lever for effecting movement of said lever only when said iron is approaching the limit of its travel.

- 6. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable hat support, means for rotating said support, a housing for said'suppcrt and said means, said housing including abase portion, a shaft rotatably journaled in said base portion, means for rotating said shaft, an arm pivotally secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, an iron pivotally mounted on said shaft, said iron being adapted upon rotation of said shaft to traverse the surface of a hat mounted on said support, a cramping lever journaled in said arm, spring means connecting said lever and said iron, and means mounted on said base portion and adapted upon abutment of said lever to tension said spring means and swing said iron whereby as said iron approaches the band of the hat, the portion thereof nearest the band bears with increased pressure against the hat surface.

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hat support, means for rotating said support, an arm movable circumferentially and radially of said hat support, an iron pivotal- 1 ly mounted on said arm, lever means journaled in said arm, spring means connecting said lever and said iron, and means for swinging said lever as said iron approaches the band portion of a hat mounted on said support to cause the portion of the iron nearest the band portion of the hat to bear with increased pressure against the hat surface.

8. In a machine of the character described, in

combination, a standard, a hat support rotatably mounted in said standard, an arm, means pivotally connecting said arm to said standard at a point spaced below the bottom of said standard, an iron pivotally mounted on said arm, means urging said arm toward said hat support, said means including a plurality of coil springs whose axes are aligned with the pivotal axis of said arm, and means associated with said arm and said springs for varying at will the effective tension of said springs, said last mentioned means including a gear segment enmeshed with a manually rotatable worm, said gear segment being operatively connected to said springs, and said worm being rotatably mounted on said arm.

9. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a standard, a hat support rotatably mounted in said standard, an arm pivotally connected to said standard and movable about said hat support, a pair of abutments secured to said standard, a lever pivotally mounted on said arm, and adapted to engage one of said abutments during the movement of said arm about said hat support in each direction.

10. In a machine of the character described, in

combination, a standard, a hat support rotatably mounted in said standard, a bifurcated arm pivotally connected to said standard and movable about said hat support through an angle of substantially 180, a pair of abutments secured to said standard, a lever pivotally mounted on said arm between the bifurcations thereof, and adapted to engage one of said abutments during the movement of said arm about said hat support in each direction, a post pivotally mounted in said arm, the lower end of said post lying between the bifurcations of said arm, means operatively connecting said lever and said post whereby upon abutment of said lever against one of said abutments said post is pivoted in one direction or another, and an iron secured to said post.

11. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hat support, means for rotating said support, an arm movable circumferentially and radially of saidhat support, an iron pivo'cally mounted on said arm, lever means journaled in said arm, means connecting said lever and said iron, and means for swinging said level as said iron approaches the band portion of ahat mounted on said support, to cause the portion of the iron nearest to the band portion of the hat to bear with increased pressure against the hats surface, said last mentioned means including a movable abutment, the position of which may be varied at will to change the value of said increased pressure.

12. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hat support, a hat iron support, an iron mounted on said iron support, means for effecting relative movement between said supports, the path of said movement extending substantially throughout an angle on the order of 180, abutment means associated with said supports, said abutment means including members one of which is operably associated with said iron and engageable with another of said members at different points in said path of movement to vary the pressure of certain portions of said iron against certain portions of a hat mounted on said hat support at diiTerent points of said movement.

13. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hat support, an iron support,

means for effecting relative movement between said supports, the extent of the path of said movement being on the order of 180, means for effecting relative movement between said supports toward and away from one another, an iron mounted on said iron support and adapted to operate upon the surface of a hat mounted on said hat support, a pair of abutments secured to one of said sup-ports, and means associated with the other of said supports and engageable with said abutmen'ts substantially at opposite ends of said path of movement to effect an increase of pressure between certain portions of said iron and certain portions of said hat.

14. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a hat support, an iron support, an iron mounted on said iron support for operating on a hat mounted on said hat support, means for effecting relative movement between said supports, means forming an abutment on one of said supports, and means associated with the other of said supports and engageable with said abutment to effect an increase of pressure between certain portions of said iron and certain portions of said hat.

PAUL SCHULTZEL 

